A Twist Of Fate

Chapter 8

The rest of the day was relatively quiet.  After Archie told my parents everything he told me and Regina earlier about funeral preparations, he told us he'd be in touch soon and then left. Not long after Regina said she needed to go. She had to call her deputy mayor so he could run things for a while so she could take some time off. She also said she would call Sheriff Graham Hunter and tell him I'd be out for a while. She hugged all of us and left. A few hours later my parents tried to convince me to go home and get some sleep but there was no way I was leaving my daughter. My mom ended up staying so she could keep an eye on me. Those weren't her words but I knew that's why she stayed. She made me eat something and forced me into the shower. Telling her I really did shower a few hours before I got here didn't make a difference to her. She told me it would help me relax. She was wrong. All it did was make me cry. I knew the sound of the shower would drowned out my cries.  Once I was done in the shower I get out and dry off and put on some clothes my mom brought me. She makes me get in bed and try to get some sleep. Of course I fight her on it but  she never takes no for an answer. I lay in bed and turn on the tv. "Emma shut the tv off and get some sleep". My mom says to me. "Mom I'm fine". I come across a station that's playing a non stop Golden Girls marathon and I click on that channel. They have always been my favorite. I even got Zelena into the show.  Oh my Zelena. What am I going to do without you? That's what I think to myself as I start to softly cry. I try to fight the sleepiness but in the end the sleep wins and I fall asleep with the tv on. I wake up every so often and see the Golden Girls still on and I fall back to sleep. This goes on for hours till I finally wake up. I leap up to a sitting position and yell out my wife's name. I look around the room and remember where I am and start crying all over again. My mother comes right to my side and holds me tight. "It's ok Emma. I'm here for you and I always will be". I cry harder. "Zelena used to say that me to mom and where is she now?"  "Oh sweetie I wish I could take your pain away". Just then the nurse comes in with my daughter. "Good morning. Someone was missing their mama today". She picks up my daughter and hands her to me. The nurse stays right by my side. She can tell how emotional I am. I kiss my daughters forehead. "Good morning Angelica. I hope you didn't keep all the other babies awake all night". The nurse and my mom look at me. Then my mom asks. "Angelica?  That's so beautiful. Is that the name you decided on?"  "Yes mom. It was on the list Zelena and I had liked. It's an angel inspired name. I'd like to believe that Zelena is the angel watching over our daughter".  "That's absolutely beautiful Emma. I love her name". I smile at my mom. The nurse says she'll be back in a little while and if we need anything she's right outside the door. Angelica's pediatrician came in and said that she has a clean bill of health and can be released from the hospital now. I thank him for everything and he told me he was going to get all the paperwork ready so she can go home. I hand the baby to my mom so I can get out of bed and get dressed. A nurse comes back not to long after and goes over a few things with me. I ask her to give me a few minutes alone with my mom and that I'll be ready soon to leave. My mom looks at me confused. "Mom please call dad to come and pick you up. I'd like to take my daughter home. Alone. I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings but it's something I really need to do. Please".  "Emma are you sure?"   "Yes. I'm absolutely sure. I need time with my daughter right now and if I need anything I know you and dad are a call away. Please let me do this".   "Ok Emma. If this is what you want".  "It is mom. Thank you". She calls my dad to come get her. When he gets here I tell the nurse that I'm ready to take my daughter home. I'm not a patient so I don't need a wheelchair to go. The nurse makes sure the baby's all strapped into her car seat carrier before we leave and then she walks us out of the hospital. I lock Angelica in her car seat base and my parents go to their car. Then I take my daughter home. Alone. It's not the way I was dreaming it would be, but this is what's really happening. I pull into the driveway. Put the car in park and shut off the engine. I take a few deep breaths and get out of the car. I take Angelica out of her car seat base.  I walk up to the front door and I have a déjà vu moment of when Zelena and I first came to live here. She was pregnant with our daughter and we had our lives ahead of us. "Welcome home baby girl. I love you so much and I promise that I will do everything I can to make sure you have a happy life". And with those words I walk my daughter into our home.